Tagged By Angie

My friend Angie "blog tagged" me about a month ago, and I've been trying to think of something to write ever since. Angie and I taught together at McMeans Jr. High and she's one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She taught reading; I taught English and we were the pep squad and cheerleader sponsors. Needless to say all the girls we taught were precious angels since they thought there might be a smidgen of a chance that we actually had a say in who the cheerleaders were. If you know anything about Texas cheerleading then you know it is ultra, super, intense competitive. We had to have judges come from over a hundred miles away (so there was no chance they would know any of the girls), then Angie and I would leave through a backdoor before the results were given out...Our principal wanted us safely in our own homes so the moms couldn't accost us in the parking lot. At the school I taught at before McMeans, I would be escorted to my car by a police officer after tryouts "for my own safety". Yes, it's that serious. Cheerleading tryouts aside, we had so much together. She is now in Anna, Texas with her 3 kids and husband, Andrew, who is the pastor at the First Baptist Church. This picture of us was taken at Angie's going away party (she was moving to Waco) right before we moved to China.

Okay, so now onto my tagging. I'm supposed to tell you 6 interesting things about me...that's been the hard part, I tend to over share, so I think y'all already know everything. I'm not sure if these count as 6 interesting things or not...but I did my best to go for things you may not know.

1. I'm right handed, but the left side of my body is the strongest. In high school drill team I could always kick my left leg higher than my right. And if you asked me to do the splits right now, I couldn't do either of them, but my left split would be better. Kyle is heaver so I always carry him in my left arm and Reed in my right.

2. Little kids really like me. If there's a little kid around, they always seem to be drawn to me. I've decided that it must be my voice. I'm like Elmo. Sesame Street can be on all day and none of my kids will look at it. They hear Elmo's voice and they stop everything to turn around and look. There's only been one kid that has an aversion to me. JR's friend, Travis, is terrified of me. Jason thinks it's hilarious because he's seen how most kids are attracted to me (Travis actually really likes Jason.) Every time Travis sees me he starts saying "Bye-Bye! Bye-Bye! Bye-Bye!"

3. I'd love to have a gaggle of kids. I guess it's my "only-childness" in me that makes me want to have a herd myself. Jason says "we're done". But I still plan on having a little girl. I've just got a few minor details to work out: Convincing Jason, AND getting back to China (or anywhere else in Asia) to adopt her....we'll have an Ingersoll girl yet....just stay tuned!

4. I love sleeping. Sleeping late, taking naps...nuff-said.

5. Jason and I think we should have our own reality show. Jason and I started watching a lot of reality TV when we moved home from China since we had missed the start-ups of so many popular scripted shows. Seems like everybody has their own reality show these days, you don't even have to be famous...or that interesting. Jason and I are convinced we'd make great TV. If any TV producers are reading this, we'd be happy to open our home to your cameras....and enjoy all the freebies that come with it. I'll be happy to pour my kids Juicy Juice every morning if they send a crate over for free!

6. I'm not a picky eater. I really will eat most anything. In China I wasn't too interested in eating the fish that was still looking at me, but I would eat it. The only food I really don't like are pickles. Which means I really don't like potato salad either. Every once in awhile I think that I should like potato salad, so I'll try it again...And I still don't like it (it's the pickles). I don't like slaw either. Is that pickle based too?

Now I'm supposed to tag 6 others and have them tell 6 interesting things about themselves. Kristi has already done it, so that leaves Allison, Robin, and Beth. I'm bad at math, but I do know that that's not 6...but that's all the bloggers I know!

Christmas Crafting Day 27

Hallelujah! After 27 days, I've finished Kyle's stocking. I'm pretty proud of myself, (not for my quality of work, but just that it's finished). Sweet JR is really proud of me too. He was telling his Grandpa Gary today, "Look, we finished Kyle's stocking." I'll definitely give JR the "we" credit because he gave me tons of moral support. Every morning he would check to see what I had done the night before. He'd tell me: "The stocking looks great, Mommy." "Look, You only have 3 more steps to go!" "I love the eye patch, Mommy." He was almost like having my mom around. Now if he'd told me to 'go lay down and take a little nap' then I would have known it was her telling him what to say. But since he never mentioned letting me get a nap, he gets all the "stocking helper" credit. So, one down...one to go. Reed's stocking (Santa riding a motorcycle) gets started tomorrow, so I get to start a whole new Christmas Crafting Countdown. Oh goody.

A New Fave

The part of Houston we live in is really an older part of town. It's the suburbs that get all the really great new stores and restaurants. I'm so excited, because finally, we've now got something brand, spankin' new. And let me tell you, it is brand, spankin' new fabulous! The new H.E.B (big grocery store chain in Texas) opened up on Thursday and we made our first trip there today. Unfortunately for us, we'll only be able to enjoy it for a few more weeks before the move, but I'm thinking I can find a reason to visit everyday. The excitement started in the parking lot when we discovered they have the "duly carts" (as Jason calls them). Since the babies have been born I haven't been able to go to the grocery store without Jason because if you have two car seats in the cart, there's no room for the food. I wish I'd had my camera because Kyle and Reed looked so cute sitting next to each other in the cart. They looked as happy to be there as everybody else. I'm telling you, this H.E.B is so great, it's almost up there with Super Target. The "beauty" aisle looks like a Sephora and the book and magazine section looks like a Barnes and Noble. Not that I would ever buy anything at Barnes and Noble, I'm much too conservative for that...I get all my books from a great little place called the Public Library. They had a section of Christmas decorations to rival Hobby Lobby, two rows of pinatas, and a RediClinic! They had a wine tasting going on...which totally took the edge off the big crowd, a huge meat department, and seafood department that could double as a trip to the aquarium. When we were finished shopping there were 25 checkout lanes to choose from. 25! I love my new H.E.B.! I love it so much I just might start cooking...well, maybe I don't love it that much!

A Change We Can Be...Wrapping Ourselves Up in Coats About

Jason and I have been doing a little Durango research in anticipation of the big move, and though we do know a thing or two about cold weather, (I've been known to ride JR to school on the back of my bike in the snow...how Chinese is that?) it sure is easy to forget. These statistics seem a bit daunting...but I believe we are up to the challenge!

*An apology to all my non-American readers, all measurements will be given in US Standard Units.

Average High Temp January:
Durango-35, Houston-62.3
Average Low Temp January:
Durango-3.9, Houston-41.2
Average High Temp July:
Durango-86.8, Houston-93.6
Average Low Temp July:
Durango- 55.8, Houston-73.5

Change doesn't stop in the temperature department. Check these out!
Population:
Durango-15, 878/ Houston-2.2 million
(and to really blow your mind, the population of Beijing- 17.4 million)
County Population:
La Plata County-48, 019/Harris County-4 million
Geograhpy:
Durango-4.37 square miles, Houston-601.7 square miles
Durango-6,512 feet above sea level, Houston-50 feet

No where near the culture shock we had in Beijing, but it certainly isn't Houston!

Baby Talk: We're 10 months old!

Kyle: Hi everybody, As you can see we're really happy about turning 10 months old!
Reed: We had a great doctor's visit last week. I was really hoping to get on the weight chart, but I still haven't made it on. I'm weighing in at 15lbs 15oz and that puts me at <5%.
K: I'm on the chart! I'm 17lbs 10oz and that puts me at 1o%.
R: But not to worry, we're doing great on the height chart. I'm in the 50% and Kyle is in the 75%. The doctor even said we're "not preemies anymore"!
K: We've really been keeping busy, check us out...



R: We like to go for walks in the stroller. We especially like to walk JR to taekwondo.
K: Reed sits in the front, and I sit in the back. I like to grab his head and pull on the back of his chair. Payback for all that pacifier stealing he does!



R: We love playing with our toys, but we like playing with things that aren't toys better. The remote, cell phones, and the camera are our faves.


R: I also love to pull-up on things and bang toys on any hard surface I can find.

K: We can really make a lot of noise when we start banging together.


K: We grab everything we can get our hands on. Nothing is safe!

K: We're also learning to drive!


R: Crusin' for chicks is so much easier now that we've got our own wheels.

K: We're also taking horseback riding lessons. Girls love a cowboy, and all Texans know how to ride a horse, right?
R: We certainly are keeping busy. Mommy can hardly believe we are getting so big!

Really BIG news

Yes, the Ingy family has big news to announce. We've known for a few weeks, but had to wait to make the official announcement. The Ingy Family is once again in for a big change. So I'm going to let you guess what the big announcement is...JR will give you a hint:

JR is practicing bundling up as Jason has a new official job title: "Sales Manager for the Southern Rockies Basin". Yep, we native Texans are packing up once again and moving. This time: Durango, Colorado. I will now refer you to the frequently asked questions portion of the blog.

FAQ:

1. Where is Durango, Colorado?

Durango is in southwest Colorado, near the “Four Corners” where Colorado meets New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. About 45 miles north of Farmington, New Mexico where Jason's office is located.

2. Are y'all okay with moving?

Yes! We are actually really excited about it. After our time in Beijing, Jason and I look for great experiences. We think Durango will be an exciting adventure for our family.

3. You just moved home! Are you going to sell your house?

As of Thanksgiving we will have been back in Houston for 2 years. We are going to keep our Houston house and rent it out.

4. How long? 3 years like China?

We actually don't have a time limit on this one. But Jason and I have moved every 2-3 years since we have been married, so I'm guessing this one will be about the same.

5. When are you moving?
We are going to let JR finish out the semester at Second Baptist, so we will move after Christmas, but before school starts in Durango on January 5, 2009.

6. Durango. Huh. What is there to do there?

We are actually looking forward to skiing and learning to snowboard. Purgatory Mt. Resort is located there and we have both been skiing there before. JR is also looking forward to learning how to snowboard as "the snowboarding game" is his favorite at Chuck E. Cheese. Durango is also home to the famous Durango to Silverton train.

7. Can we come visit?

Yes! We are hoping to get a 4 bedroom home so we will have a guest room. Check here to see if you prefer Durango's winter activities or summer activities.

8. Is it hard to get to? Can we drive?

It is definitely drivable from Texas and is situated along one of the most scenic drives in America: the San Juan Skyway. The Durango airport provides daily arrivals from Phoenix (America West/US Air), Denver (United Express), and Salt Lake City (Delta).

Startin' 'Em Young

We Texans love our Tex-Mex, country music, and pick-up trucks. And we start the love of all things Texan early around these parts. You're never to young to have your first ride in the flat-bed of a truck. Just ask Kyle and Reed...

(Check out Reed's hand, he's giving a little shout out to our neighbors to the east by riding around with a gator!)